


When the Sea Calls (Working Title)

by figsofmyimagination



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, But not described in detail., Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, M/M, No Smut, a Pirates of the Caribbean AU that nobody asked for, coldflash - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-20
Updated: 2017-07-21
Packaged: 2018-11-16 10:24:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11251203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/figsofmyimagination/pseuds/figsofmyimagination
Summary: “It’s okay,” she said. “My name’s Iris West.”“Bartholomew Allen,” the boy said, still panting in fright. “I go by Barry, though.”She smiled softly at him. “I’m watching over you, Barry.” He blinked several times at her, clearly fighting exhaustion, before dropping his head and allowing himself to drift back to sleep. That’s when Iris noticed the gold chain around his neck. Leaning forward, she tugged the chain out from beneath his shirt line to find a golden medallion.“You’re a pirate!” she exclaimed.~~~~~The Coldflash Pirates of the Caribbean AU that nobody asked for but are getting anyway.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I really had an intense need to read a Coldflash Pirates of the Caribbean AU and I didn’t find much on AO3 (and I didn’t look elsewhere, so I apologize now if someone has done something similar). So I guess I’m writing it. Prepare yourself for historical inaccuracies, half-assed attempts to research boat, nautical, and clothing terms from the 1700s, and shameless dialogue quoting from PotC: Curse of the Black Pearl.
> 
> I finished writing the prologue before I realized there is a waiting list to sign up for an AO3 account, so I originally posted this to Tumblr before transferring it here (original post: http://figsofmyimagination.tumblr.com/post/161566623434/coldflash-potc-au-prologue). Enjoy and please share if you like it!

The fog lay thick on the ocean so that a teenaged Iris West couldn’t see beyond the bowsprit. Many deckhands referred to it as a pirate’s mist. It was the type of fog that pirate ships materialized from, looting ships, and disappearing just as quick. Like magic. The crew had been antsy all morning as a result.

Iris quite liked the atmosphere. She had always wanted to meet a pirate, go on an adventure, and never take another etiquette lesson again. But that was the life a governor’s daughter.

“Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate’s life for me,” she sang softly, imagining herself as the pirate captain of her own ship and waiting quietly in the mist to attack an unsuspecting trade ship. “We extort, we pilfer, we sack. Drink up-”

A hand clamped down on her shoulder and Iris gasped in surprise. “Quiet, missy!” said the man Iris recognized as the first mate. She found him odd with his bald head and mutton chops, constantly muttering about various superstitions under his breath. He always smelled of fire too. “Cursed pirates sail these waters. You don’t want to bring them down on us, now do ya?”

“Mr. Rory, that will do,” snapped Lieutenant Eddie Thawne. Iris sighed in relief when she caught sight of her father, Governor Joseph West, following right behind the young lieutenant.

“She was singing about pirates!” Mr. Rory said, pointing accusingly at Iris. “It’s bad luck to be singing about pirates while we are stuck in this unnatural fog. Mark my words!”

“Consider them marked,” Lieutenant Thawne drawled. “On your way.”

“Aye, Lieutenant,” Mr. Rory said with a short nod. As he walked away, he mumbled, “It’s bad luck to have a woman on board, even a miniature one.”

“I think it would be rather exciting to meet a pirate,” Iris whispered conspiratorially. She watched Mr. Rory took a deep swig from his flask of rum.

Lieutenant Thawne smiled indulgently at Iris. “Think again, Miss West. Vile and dissolute creatures, the lot of them. I intend to see to it that any man who sails under a pirate flag or wears a pirate brand gets what he deserves: a short drop and a sudden stop.”

“What?” Iris asked. She looked over to Mr. Rory who pantomimed being hung by his neck handkerchief, tongue poking out. Iris gasped in disgust.

“Lieutenant Thawne,” said Governor West, stepping in to disrupt the conversation, “I appreciate your fervor, but I’m, uh, I’m concerned about the effect this subject will have upon my daughter.”

“My apologies, Governor West,” Lieutenant Thawne said. “I’ll go check on the crew.”

“Actually,” Iris said, “I find it all fascinating.”

“Yes, that what concerns me,” said Governor West. “No more singing about pirates, please. No need to antagonize Mr. Rory or the crew.” Iris pouted at her father’s back as he walked away. They would probably never see eye-to-eye on the whole pirate thing. Governor West very much believed in doing what was right 100% of the time. As a governor, he had to set an example for his people, he reminded her constantly.

Iris turned back toward the front of the boat, watching the ocean water slip beneath the keel. She smiled faintly as a lady’s parasol drifted past. How had it gotten all the way out here? She wondered. She imagined the lady wearing a white, multi-layered dress. Maybe it had been her wedding day. She had gotten married on the sea and lost her parasol in a strong gust of wind.

As the parasol bobbed away, she caught sight of something else in the water, square-ish in shape. “Look! A boy!” she shouted when the square sharpened into a wooden raft with an unmoving passenger. “There’s a boy in the water!”

Lieutenant Thawne and the deckhands rushed to the edge of the boat. “Man overboard!” Lieutenant Thawne shouted, rousing the others into action. “Man the ropes! Fetch a hook! Haul him aboard!”

Iris scooted toward the edge while the soldiers rushed about to fulfill the lieutenant’s orders. Ropes with hooks were thrown over the railing, then slowly dragged back up heavy with the weight of the boy and his impromptu raft. She watched as Mr. Rory laid the boy on the deck, his heading lolling in unconsciousness and his clothes dripping wet.

“He’s still breathing,” Lieutenant Thawne said when he leaned down to examine the boy.

“Mary, Mother of God!” Mr. Rory swore. As the rest of the crew put away the ropes and hook used to drag the boy in or leaned over to examine their new passenger, Mr. Rory had the misfortune of being the first to see the ominous sight appearing from the mist next: a ship broken in half and burning as it sunk into the ocean. It must have been where the boy came from!

“What happened here?” Governor West asked, brows furrowed in confusion and concern.

“It was most likely the powder magazine,” Lieutenant Thawne explained. “Merchant vessels run heavily armed.” The mast of the burning ship buckled and fell into the ocean.

“Lotta good it did them,” Mr. Rory said. Lieutenant Thawne gave him a disapproving glare. “Everybody’s thinkin’ it. I’m just sayin’ it: pirates!”

Governor West chuckled nervously. “There’s no proof of that!” But he was worried. He did not want his daughter aboard a ship during a pirate attack. “It was probably an accident,” he said aloud, largely to reassure himself.

As the crew, Lieutenant Thawne, and her father were distracted discussing the burning ship, Iris approached the boy. She didn’t get more than a glimpse before Lieutenant Thawne was barking orders again, “Rouse the captain immediately! Heave to and take in sail! Launch the boats!”

A crew member picked up the boy, moving him out of the way of the rushing deckhands. Her father leaned over her shoulder, saying, “Iris, I want you to accompany the boy. He’ll be in your charge. Take care of him!” Iris nodded and followed after the man.

The boy was placed on a flat area of the quarterdeck, a less crowded area toward the back of the ship. Iris settled beside him uncaring of the grimy wood staining her dress. She reached to tuck some of his hair behind his ear, when the boy awoke with a gasp, latching onto Iris’ wrist and immediately alert.

“It’s okay,” she said. “My name’s Iris West.”

“Bartholomew Allen,” the boy said, still panting in fright. “I go by Barry, though.”

She smiled softly at him. “I’m watching over you, Barry.” He blinked several times at her, clearly fighting exhaustion, before dropping his head and allowing himself to drift back to sleep. That’s when Iris noticed the gold chain around his neck. Leaning forward, she tugged the chain out from beneath his shirt line to find a golden medallion.

“You’re a pirate!” she exclaimed as she traced her fingers over the skull-and-crossbones design minted into the metal.

“Has he said anything?” Lieutenant Thawne asked. Iris ripped the medallion from around his neck, hiding it behind her back as she stood up and turned to face the lieutenant.

“His name’s Bartholomew Allen,” she said. “That’s all I found out.”

“Take him below,” Lieutenant Thawne ordered two soldiers standing at the ready. “Have the doctor look him over.”

Iris remained on the quarterdeck. She checked over her shoulder before holding up the medallion to get a closer look. The gold glinted in the weak morning light. Concentric circles radiated around the skull containing curved and angular symbols alike. The skull grinned menacingly back at her.

A black mass drifting across the ocean caught Iris’ attention while she examined the pendant. Frowning, she lowered the medallion and focused on the object. Her eyes widened in surprise. It was massive black ship sailing soundlessly away. It had wide black sails which were riddled with holes and from the top of the main mast flew a small black flag adorned with a skull and two crossed blades.

Iris rubbed her eyes unsure if the ghostly ship was real or a figment of her imagination. When she opened them again, the ship had dissolved back into the mist.


	2. Ten Years Later...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Un-betaed. I found as many mistakes as I could. Kindly let me know if you find any glaring issues!
> 
> A lot of this story will follow the events of PotC: The Curse of the Black Pearl closely, but will deviate as needed to accommodate the change in the characters. Some tweaks that I have made for this story so far:  
> 1) In the prologue, I imagined Barry and Iris as about 14 years old (I think Elizabeth may have been ~12) and Eddie around 20. The rest of the story takes place ten years later, so just add ten to all those ages. Leonard and Mick are probably anywhere between 36-40. You decide!  
> 2) There will be no love triangle between Iris, Barry, and Leonard Snart. Barry and Iris have a brother/sister bond.  
> 3) Coldflash is the main pairing, but you'll see a little established Iris/Eddie as well.  
> 4) The Wests will have a much more familial relationship with Barry than the Swanns did with Will Turner. So expect less formalities in how they interact with each other.  
> 5) And I don't know what character I will have fulfill Barbosa's role yet. I thought maybe one of Barry's big enemies, but it would make more sense for it to be someone Leonard personally had issues with. Probably his father.

Iris West awoke abruptly from dreams of ocean waves, hot sunshine, sparkling treasure, and pirate ships. She lay for a moment, blinking away the dream and realizing she was at home rather than on the high sea. 

She kicked back the covers and reached for the candlestick that she kept burning through the night. Iris wiggled open the nightstand drawer next to her bed and pulled out a stack of half-written letters, her journal, and other miscellaneous trinkets. She set them off to the side. Reaching to the back of the drawer, she pressed down. The false bottom popped up and that too she set aside. In the dusty secret compartment was Barry’s medallion.

Iris lifted it up, rubbing the dust off with her finger. The metal gleamed in the candle light. Ten years later and Barry still didn’t know about it. At this point, Iris figured, she probably never would. She did not wish to tarnish Barry’s few memories of his childhood with accusations of piracy.

“Iris,” Governor West called, knocking on her bedroom door and knocking her out of her reverie.

Iris pushed the false bottom back into place before throwing the journal and other bits of paper back into the drawer. She did all this before realizing she still had the medallion in her hand.

“Are you decent?” her father called. She slipped the medallion’s chain over her head. “Are you alright?”

“Just a minute,” she repliedd, hiding the gold piece beneath the neckline of her nightgown. Iris slipped on her dressing gown and moved her curls to cover the gold chain. “Come in!”

“Still in bed at this hour?” Governor West asked, taking in the shuttered windows and Iris’ sleep attire. “It’s such a beautiful day.”

As he said this, Iris’ maid, Linda, pulled aside the curtains and opened in the windows. Iris winced as sunlight flooded the room. She had an excellent view of the harbor with its many ships and bright blue waves. The breeze smelled salty.

“I have a gift for you,” her father said. A second maid stepped forward, holding out a large dress box for Iris to investigate.

Iris removed the lid and gasped in delight. She lifted a beautiful day dress from the box. The soft golden fabric was embroidered with large white flowers. “It’s beautiful!”

“It’s for Captain Thawne’s promotion ceremony.”

“Eddie will love it!” Iris said. She vanished behind a privacy screen with the dress and the two maids in tow.

“I know he fancies you. He’s a fine gentleman.”

“Are you thinking he will propose soon?” Iris asked with a gasp. Linda, who had helped her slip on the bodice and underskirts had yanked the corset strings incredibly tight.

“Iris? Are you okay?”

“It’s difficult to say.” Linda gave another unmerciful yank of the corset strings. 

“I was told that it’s the latest fashion in London.”

Linda finally tied off the strings and reached for the dress. Iris took a several quick shallow breaths to steady herself. Glaring at no one in particular, Iris grumbled, “Well, women in London must’ve learned not to breathe.”

“My lord,” said a butler, bowing to Governor West when he stepped into Iris’ room, “you have a visitor.”

“Ah! That must be Barry with Captain Thawne’s gift!”

“Go, go,” Iris said. “I’ll be down once I am dressed.”

~~~~~

Leonard Snart stood atop the yard, a beam of wood perpendicular to the mast and from which hung the sail, of his small boat as it sailed toward Port Royal. He was still several miles from the harbor, but based on the amount of water accumulating in the bottom of his boat, he’d be lucky if he didn’t have to swim to shore.

He jumped down from his perch, fishing about for the wooden bucket he had been using to throw excess water back into the sea. An arching rock that jutted from the middle of the ocean caught his eye. He paused in his efforts to bale out the water to examine the outcropping further. From the archway hung three partially rotted skeletons, their clothes holey and sun bleached. A sign hung beside them: Pirates Ye Be Warned.

_Poor bastards_ , he thought. He turned his attention back to his boat when the water sloshed around his shins. Leonard smirked, stooping to grab his bucket. He looked toward the shoreline, which was fast approaching, and gaged the remaining distance. He scooped up a bucket of water and dumped it out of his boat. Then another bucketful. And another. If he could time this right, he might just reach the docks.

~~~~~

Barry Allen walked idly about the entrance foyer as he waited for Governor West to appear. He had grown up in the governor’s house as his adopted son. Only recently had Barry moved out to live closer to the forge where he was apprenticed to Harrison Wells of STAR Swords. This placed would always be home, though. It was weird to be treated as a visitor.

“It’s good to see you, Barry,” Governor West said. He let Barry set down the long black box he had been carrying before wrapping Barry in a tight hug. “It is weird not seeing you every day, son.” 

Barry squeezed momentarily tighter before releasing Governor West altogether. “I have your order.”

Barry opened the box, which he had set on a nearby table, and presented the custom-ordered sword to the governor.

“Let’s see it then,” Governor West said, taking the offered sword. He pulled it from its scabbard and watched the silver of the blade flicker in the morning light.

“The blade is folded steel,” Barry explained as his adopted father admired the craftsmanship. “And that’s gold filigree laid into the handle. If I may?”

With a fond smile, Governor West handed the sword back to the Barry. Barry held the sword out in front of him again, balancing it on two fingers below the hilt. “Perfectly balanced,” he said. “The tang is nearly the full width of the blade.”

Barry tossed the sword into the air. It circled twice before Barry deftly caught it. 

“Whoa,” Governor West said, recoiling from the spinning blade. “Very impressive.”

“I nearly cut off some fingers the first several times I tried that,” Barry admitted sheepishly. “Mr. Wells was not impressed.” He passed sword hilt-first back to Governor West.

“I know Commodore Thawne will be very pleased with this.” Governor West slid the sword back into its scabbard. He returned it to Barry, who gently laid it back in the velvet-lined box. “Very good, Barry! Pass my compliments onto your master as well. You have improved quickly in the few months you’ve been under his tutelage.”

Barry smiled. “A craftsman is always pleased to hear his work is appreciated.” 

His gaze drifted from Governor West when he noticed Iris coming down the main staircase. Her gold dress shimmered as she moved. Her hair had been pinned to sit at the base of her neck with the curls falling over her shoulders. The lace hat, pinned in place as well, would keep her eyes shaded from the sun.

“Oh Iris,” her father said, “you look absolutely stunning.”

“Barry!” she called. “I’m so happy to see you! I had a dream about you last night.”

“Really? About what?”

“The day we met,” Iris said. “Do you remember?”

“Sort of,” Barry said with a shrug. “That all?”

“Oh there were pirate ships and we were on some kind of adventure and –”

“We really must be going,” Governor West interrupted. “Sorry dear. Barry will you be joining us at the ceremony?”

“Unfortunately, no. Mr. Wells has asked me to clean up around the forge and begin work on some new orders. I wouldn’t want to anger him the same day he returns from a trip. Give my best to Cap– _Commodore_ Thawne, though.”

“Very well,” said Governor West. “You ready, Iris?”

She nodded. Iris gave Barry a quick hug as her and her father walked out the door. She called over her shoulder, “Good day, Barry.”

“Good day to you too, Iris,” Barry said as he watched the Wests climb into their carriage and ride away.

~~~~~

Leonard stepped onto the dock just as the hull of his boat slipped beneath the water. The dock shuddered as the mast collided with it.

He walked along the dock leisurely, observing his settings. The port bustled with red-coated soldiers and sweating seamen. Some unloaded ships while others prepared to set sail. Scrawny dogs barked and children ran about fulfilling small errands. This would be an easy enough crowd to disappear into. And based on the excited chatter, the docks would be clearing out soon for some ceremony up at the fort. That would be the best time to commandeer a new ship. He was on a tight time schedule, after all.

“Hold up there, you!” snapped a stocky man wearing white breeches and with a gold-trimmed white overcoat.

Leonard turned to face him, frowning at the unwanted attention. He stared blankly at the man and waited to see what he wanted.

“It’s a shilling to tie up your boat to the dock,” the man said.

Leonard looked back toward his ship. It had sunken further and now even the sail wasn’t visible. He looked back toward the man, raising an eyebrow as if to ask _What ship?_

“And I shall need to know you’re name.” The man held open a small book, quill at the ready to record Leonard's presence.

With a sigh, Leonard shoved his hands into his coat pocket and fished out three silver coins. He had other, more important matters to be dealing with at the moment. Like finding a new ship. He said, “What do you say to three shillings” – here he tossed the three coins onto the man’s record book – “and we forget the name?”

The man looked over him, curious and wary of Leonard’s intentions. Then he shrugged and scooped up the coins. “Welcome to Port Royal, Mr. Smith.”

Leonard nodded graciously. Once the man had wondered off, Leonard continued down the dock. He scooped up the bag of unattended shillings from the man’s work station as he passed. Leonard smirked. Never trust a pirate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I planned to align chapters with the scenes in the movie, but I have a feeling that would result in super long chapters. So I'm just going to break where I can because this is supposed to be a fun writing project, not a stressful one. Next chapter will have more action, so stay tuned. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I obviously don't own any characters or plot-related things from The Flash or Pirates of the Caribbean. This has been written entirely for my own amusement.


	3. No Strings on Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God what a long chapter to write for me personally (only about ~4,300 words). Hopefully the length makes up for the wait. 
> 
> Excuse some repetitive phrasing as I don't have the most patience/skill for describing action sequences. Still unbeta-ed.

Iris fanned her face, sweating profusely under the intense summer sun. It wouldn’t be so bad if she could just take a deep breath. Every time she tried, though, the boning of the corset stubbornly refused to give way. First chance she got, Iris planned on burning the bloody thing.

A trumpet fanfare started, echoing off the stone walls of the fort, and two neat rows of soldiers filed into the courtyard where the promotion ceremony would take place. Iris smiled fondly when she glimpsed Eddie – _Commodore Thawne_ as her father had been reiterating all morning – marching in behind the other soldiers.  Eddie kept his face serious as the two rows of soldiers stepped apart and raised their swords to form a tunnel. He walked toward the podium where he would receive his promotion and new sword. He winked at Iris as he passed.

  
~~~~~

 

When the sound of trumpets floated down from the fort, Captain Leonard Snart took that as his cue to begin. Earlier, he had found a shady hiding spot along the shoreline to stake out potential ships and he had found one. On the restricted end of the harbor, where the navy docked its vessels, floated an immense warship, a smaller brig, which was Leonard’s target, and numerous smaller military vessels. Leonard made his way toward the brig now that the docks had cleared.

“Hey!” called a solider. He ran to cut Leonard off, followed by a second solider. Leonard cursed silently to himself. They had been sitting beneath the shade of a high-rise dock, clearly on guard duty. He had surrendered his chances to leave with a commandeered ship in the next hour because he hadn’t bothered to check for stragglers.

“This dock is off-limits to civilians,” said the second soldier. Len dubbed him Lackey in his mind.

“I am well aware of that, gentlemen,” Leonard said, affecting the self-important air of a high-ranking military official. “If I see one, I shall inform you immediately, but I really must be going.”

He attempted to step around them, only to be cut off again. The ruse would have worked if he had the proper attire. As it was, Leonard was still dressed in his sea-worn navy blue overcoat, off-white tunic, and black breeches and boots. Admittedly, this was one of his more poorly planned heists. 

Switching tactics, Leonard's adapted a friendlier, more approachable tone, “Apparently, there’s something high-toned and fancy to-do up at the fort. How could it be that two upstanding gentlemen such as yourselves did not merit an invitation?”

“Someone has to make sure this dock stays off-limits to civilians,” said Lackey, repeating himself. This one was clearly more of a follower than a thinker. Leonard could outwit these two and spare the commotion caused by using physical force.

“It’s a fine goal, to be sure,” Leonard said, stepping back along the dock and pointing toward the warship in the distance. As he suspected, the soldiers followed his movements and freed up the path to the brig once more. “But it seems to me a ship like that makes this one here a bit superfluous, really.”

“The _Dauntless_ is the power in these waters, true enough, but there’s no ship that can match the _Interceptor_ for speed,” said Lackey. 

Leonard grinned: an opening for a distraction. “I’ve heard of one,” he said. “It’s supposed to be very fast, nigh uncatchable: the _Rogues’ Gallery_.”

The first soldier – Grunt, Leonard decided – chuckled. “There’s no _real_ ship as can match the _Interceptor_.”

The second soldier frowned. He turned to his partner and said, “ _Rogues’ Gallery_ is a real ship.”

“No,” said Grunt, looking between Leonard and his companion. He clearly didn’t want to take his eyes off the intruder but he was invested in the debate. “No, it’s not.”

“Yes, it is. I’ve seen it.”

“You’ve seen it?” Grunt asked. He looked at Lackey in disbelief.

“Yes.” 

“You haven’t seen it,” Grunt insisted. 

“Yes, I have!” 

“You’ve seen a ship with black sails that’s crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that hell itself spat him back out?” 

“No,” said Lackey, unsure of himself with that description in mind. 

“No,” said the other, rolling his eyes. He looked back to Leonard and nodded his head sharply. Grunt concluded that was the end of the conversation then. 

Lackey wasn't done though. “But I have seen a ship with black sails." 

“Oh,” said Grunt sarcastically, “and no ship that’s not crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that hell itself spat him back out could possibly have black sails, therefore couldn’t possibly be any other ship than the _Rogues’ Gallery_. Is that what you’re saying?” 

Leonard watched on silently as the conversation became more heated. This was his moment to slip away as the two bickered back and forth. Of course, this was only a small distraction, maybe enough time to examine the brig – the _Interceptor_ – rather than sail away with it. Leonard knew at this point, that it would be better to wait and steal the ship in the dead of night: less guards and better cover.

He was examining the wheel, testing how it turned and the smoothness of the wood beneath his hands, when the soldiers joined him on board, argument now settled, Grunt shouting “Hey, you! You don’t have permission to be aboard there, mate.”

“I’m sorry. It’s just, it’s such a pretty ship.”

“What’s your name?” Lackey asked. 

“Smith,” Leonard said. “Or Smithy, if you like.”

“What’s your purpose in Port Royal, ‘Mr. Smith’?” asked Grunt. 

“And no lies!” said Lackey. 

Leonard shrugged. “All right, then. I confess. It is my intention to commandeer a ship, pick up a crew in Tortuga, raid, pillage, plunder, and otherwise pilfer my weasely black guts out.” 

“I said no lies!” 

Grunt leaned closer to the second soldier and said, “I think he’s telling the truth.”

“If he were telling the truth, he wouldn’t have told us.”

“Unless,” said Len with a smirk, “he knew you wouldn’t believe the truth, even if he told it to you.”

 

~~~~~

 

Iris leaned against the arch that jutted out of the walkway with a sigh. Eddie and she had found a quiet spot along the edge of the fort once the party celebrating his promotion was in full swing. Her fan wasn’t doing a damn thing to make her feel better anymore, but she didn’t want to interrupt Eddie, who seemed to be working himself up to the proposal. With all the people about, Eddie would soon be pulled back into the crowd to thank various attendees for their presence and converse with other high-ranking officials. 

“I-I apologize if I seem forward--” 

“Don’t be silly, Eddie,” Iris interrupted. “You could never be too forward with me.” 

“Iris, please,” Eddie said. He turned away to collect himself. 

Iris continued to fan herself, vision oddly fuzzy around the edges as she looked over the sea. Eddie had picked a beautiful spot. “Sorry,” she said. “Go on.” 

“This promotion throws into sharp relief that which I have not yet achieved.” Here, Eddie turned to face her again. “A marriage to a fine woman.” 

Iris smiled faintly at him. _Ask already_ , she wanted to scream. She really, really needed sit down. 

“You have become a fine woman, Iris.” 

Iris struggled to take a deep, calming breath, but once again, the corset was too constricting. “I can’t breathe.”                                                 

“Are you okay?” Eddie asked. He had been so nervous trying to propose to Iris he just noticed how faint she looked. “Why don’t we –” 

And then she passed out, body going limp and tumbling over the edge. 

“Iris!” Eddie shouted as he watched her plummet into the waves below. He was about to plunge in after, overcoat already abandoned on the ground, when one of his soldiers restrained him. “Let go of me!” 

“The rocks!” said Lieutenant Gillette “Sir, it’s a miracle she missed them!”

“Sound the alarms!” Eddie said. “Someone from the docks was bound to see her. We need to get to the harbor now!”

 

~~~~~

 

“And then they made me their chief,” Leonard said just as a loud splash sounded on the starboard side of the ship. They approached the railing in disbelief as a faint “Iris!” drifted from the fort’s wall. Then the alarm bells started to ring. 

All three men stared blankly for a moment where Iris’ body had disappeared beneath the waves and white foam fizzled. The woman didn’t return to the surface. 

“Will you be saving her then?” Leonard asked. 

“I can’t swim!” said Grunt. 

Leonard looked to Lackey, who shook his head frantically. Figures the two soldiers guarding the _Interceptor_ were cowards. If they both had jumped overboard to save her, Leonard could be sailing away before the sun set. 

Instead, the girl still hadn't come up for air and Leonard couldn’t bring himself to watch a young woman drown. _When had he gotten so soft?_ He removed his sword, gun holster, and overcoat, dropping the items into the arms of the stunned soldiers. “Pride of the King’s Navy, you are,” he said. Leonard step onto the railing and dived into the ocean. 

A weird pulse resonated through the water as Leonard swam toward the girl. He frowned, but didn’t have time to contemplate its source. If she had fallen into the water unconscious, who knows how much water she had breathed in at this point. 

When Leonard reached the woman, he immediately began ripping the strings on the bodice of the outer layer of the dress. It be harder to swim to shore or a nearby dock with all that fabric weighing her down. He shoved the sleeves off her arms, grabbed her around the waist, and kicked off the bottom of the ocean, angling toward the dock of the _Interceptor_. The two soldiers rushed to meet him as he lifted the young woman’s body out of the water and helped settle her one the dock. 

“I got her,” said Grunt. He brushed the hair away from her face, “She’s not breathing!” 

“Move!” Leonard pulled himself out of the water while grabbing a knife from his pocket. He sliced the middle strings of the corset and ripped it away. 

Iris immediately spit up a mouth full of water and coughed. As she took in lungfuls of air, Grunt said, “I never would have thought of that.” 

“Cleary, you’ve never been to Singapore,” said Leonard, when Iris’ necklace caught his eye: maybe a small trinket he could steal for his efforts of saving her. He grabbed the medallion, mood swiftly changing from idle curiosity to ominous foreboding. This had caused the pulse in the water. “Where’d you get that?” 

Iris didn’t have a chance to respond. The sound of approaching footsteps and swords sliding from their scabbards interrupted them. 

“On your feet,” the commanding officer snapped. He pushed the blade of his sword beneath Leonard’s chin. Len frowned at the blade, mildly annoyed at the newcomer’s impudence, but being unarmed and on his knees, he wasn’t in the best position to fight back. Leonard stood up and stepped away from the young woman still laying on the dock, giving her more room to stand and himself more space from sword point. 

“Iris!” Governor West shouted. He stepped from behind the soldiers and helped his daughter stand up. He also quickly draped his overcoat over her shoulders before she could start shivering in her wet underskirts. “Are you okay?” 

“Yes, I’m fine,” Iris said, hugging her father. That’s when Governor West saw Leonard Snart. 

“Shoot him!” he immediately demanded. 

“Father!” Iris protested. “Commodore Thawne, do you really intend to kill my rescuer?” 

Commodore Thawne hesitated, then sheathed his sword. He stepped forward and offered his hand. “I believe thanks are in order.” 

Leonard was surrounded by too many men to make an easy escape. Nothing to do but play along for now. He slowly reached out to shake Commodore Thawne’s hand. 

When his hand was close enough, Commodore Thawne clamped onto Leonard’s hand and yanked the other man forward. Eddie pushed Leonard’s sleeve up to his elbow, revealing a pale pink burn scar in the shape of a P and right above that, a tattoo of a dark blue snowflake. 

“Had a brush with the East India Trading Company, did we, pirate? And this snowflake tells me you’re the infamous Leonard Snart, no less. Keep your guns on him men. Gillette, fetch some irons!” 

“Captain Cold, if you please, sir,” Leonard drawled. “I only let close personal associates call me by my given name.” 

Commodore Thawne sneered as he glanced about the harbor, then back at Snart. “I don’t see your ship, ‘Captain.’” 

“I’m in the market, as it were.” 

“He said he’d come to commandeer one,” said Lackey. 

“I told you he was telling the truth,” said Grunt “These are his, sir.” He then proffered Len’s belongings – the coat, the sword, the pistol – to Commodore Thawne. Leonard clamped down on the desire to snatch the items away. He did not like when other touched what was his.

Commodore Thawne examined each item nonchalantly. “No additional shots nor powder,” he said as he picked up and then set aside the pistol. He pulled a cube-like container from the pocket of Len’s overcoat and opened the lid. “A compass that doesn’t point north.” Thawne returned the compass and pulled the sword partially from its scabbard. “And I half expected it to be made of wood. You are without a doubt the worst pirate I’ve ever heard of.” 

That statement rankled Leonard. He was simply down on his luck. He had been quite the pirate before he lost his crew and his ship. The _Rogues’ Gallery_ had earned its reputation for a reason and that was long before its new captain had damned it. 

But he needed to stay calm. If he timed this right, he could use the young woman – Iris – as leverage for his escape. The governor had made the mistake of remaining too close simply because Leonard was surrounded by soldiers.

With a smirk, he said, “But you have heard of me.” 

That’s when Lieutenant Gillette reappeared with the manacles. While Gillette attached the cuffs, Iris pushed her way forward, standing between the commodore and Leonard. 

“Ed–" Leonard noticed the misstep "–Commodore Thawne, I really must protest,” she said. “Pirate or not, this man saved my life.” 

“One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness,” Commodore Thawne said. 

“Although it seems enough to condemn him,” Leonard snarked. 

“Indeed,” said Eddie tightly. Iris glared at the man over her shoulder before turning back to Eddie. Snart didn’t have to make her job harder. 

“I’m not saying you should let him go,” Iris said. “But surely you could reduce the penalty. You can’t hang him after he risked his life to save me!”

“If I make an exception for him, I must do the same for every pirate that saves another's life on a whim. And then where would we be?” 

Iris didn’t get a chance to respond. Lieutenant Gillette had finished shackling Leonard Snart, at which point, Leonard rushed forward and threw the chain around Iris’ neck, yanking her back. All the soldiers raised their guns, ready to act. 

“No, no, no!” Governor West ordered. “Don’t shoot!” 

“Cool it, gentlemen,” Leonard ordered. “We wouldn’t want this young lady to get hurt in the crossfire.” Using Iris as a shield, Len backed up along the dock trying to find the pulley crane system he had spotted earlier that morning. 

“Are you kidding me?” Iris fumed. “I was trying to do you a favor.”

“It wasn’t the favor I needed or wanted,” Len said as he continued to inch along. There! He had an escape route and now he just needed his stuff. “Commodore Thawne, my effects, please. And my compass. I can always get a new coat." 

Commodore Thawne gritted his teeth but waved Grunt forward, who had held onto Leonard’s belongings as Leonard was being accused and shackled. 

“Iris, isn’t it?” Leonard asked. 

“It’s Miss West to you,” Iris snapped. 

“My apologies, _Miss West_.” Len liked her. She didn’t cower despite how easily he could strangle the life out her in this position. He nodded toward the items Commodore Thawne held out. “If you’d be so kind.” 

Once Iris had his stuff, Leonard immediately grabbed his gun. He pointed the pistol at her head – in case the soldiers had any stupid ideas now that the chain wasn’t pressed so tightly against her neck – and stepped back. “My hands are tied,” he said with a jingle of the chain, “so if you’d help me out, I’ll gladly be on my way.” 

Iris huffed. She slipped the broken compass into Leonard’s pocket. She refastened the gun holster around his waist. Then she practically hugged him as she strapped his sword across his shoulder. Leonard smirked at Commodore Thawne over Iris’ head as she worked. Thawne glared in return, but wisely refrained from any sudden movements. 

“You’re despicable,” Iris said as she finished looping the buckle for the scabbard. 

“Sticks and stones,” Leonard said. “I saved your life, now you save mine. We’re square.” With that, Leonard spun her around. “Gentlemen, my lady, you will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Cold.” 

He lifted the chain over Iris’ head and shoved her into the crowd of soldiers. Leonard turned, grabbed the rope dangling from the pulley and kicked out the lever holding it in place. He shot up to the higher platform as a cannon crashed into the group of disoriented soldiers below. Some attempted to shoot him, but his movements were difficult to follow and they didn’t have time to reload. 

“On his heels!” Commodore Thawne yelled. “Don’t let him get away.” 

Leonard swung around, landing on a second pulley crane. Using the chain connecting the manacles, he ziplined to the shore at end of the dock and took off towards the town center. That would provide the best cover from wanton gunfire.

 

~~~~~

 

Leonard had slunk from shadow to shadow around the town as small groups of soldiers trotted past. He would need a change of clothes and maybe a hat if he wanted to go unnoticed. But first, he needed to get rid of the irons. He couldn’t do nearly as much with his hands tied together. 

He watched another group of soldiers run by his hiding place and stepped momentarily into plain view. He took a couple steps and slipped through a doorway beneath the sign with emblem of an anvil and star. The bottom of the sign read H. Wells. He closed the door behind him. He was certain he was alone after surveilling the place. 

Although the apprentice – a lanky young man that Leonard had absently thought was attractive – had left after allowing the soldiers to search the forge, Leonard knew he didn’t have long before the apprentice's return. He examined the blacksmithing tools and decided to start with the hammer. The angle was all wrong though. He couldn’t hit the chain links with enough force while simultaneously stretching them across the anvil. 

Onto Plan B then. Leonard grabbed a fire poker from the forge pressed it into the flank of the donkey. Braying in pain, the donkey started forward causing a huge cog overhead to turn. Leonard swung the chain over one of the cog’s teeth and shuffled along, smiling in delight when the chain was _finally_ crushed between the teeth of two interlocking cogs. 

“Um, who are you?” 

Leonard’s attention snapped to the door, where the apprentice along with another young man and woman stood. 

“He must be the man the soldiers are looking for!” said the young man, the one who wasn’t the apprentice. "See the irons on his wrists?"

“Cisco, Caitlin, go get help,” said the apprentice. He stepped forward and grabbed a nearby sword. 

“Are you sure, Barry?” the woman, Caitlin, asked as she watched Leonard unsheathe his own sword. 

“I can handle him,” Barry the Apprentice said. “For a little while. Now go get help!” 

Caitlin and Cisco ran back out of the smithy. Barry kicked the door close, effectively trapping Leonard in the forge until he incapacitated the apprentice. A calculated, if foolhardy move in Leonard’s opinion. 

“You are, aren’t you?” Barry asked. He still held his sword in front of his body but hadn’t stepped any closer to Leonard. He noted Barry’s brown waistcoat and trousers; although the colors were muted, the fabric was new and of nicer quality. The boy had connections. 

“You’ll have to be more specific.” Len took several steps closer. He needed to get away before the others returned. 

“You’re the one they’re hunting. The _pirate_.” 

“You seem somewhat familiar,” Leonard said, taking another step closer. He was finally within striking distance. “Have I threatened you before?” 

Barry jabbed forward, but Len easily parried the strike, knocking the incoming blade aside. 

Barry retreated several steps, saying, “I make a point of avoiding familiarity with pirates,” but there was little heat behind his words. If anything, Barry looked vaguely fascinated by the proceedings. But then again, who didn't harbor dreams of sword fighting pirates in this day and age? Barry didn’t immediately lift his sword into a fighting stance again; instead, he waited for Leonard to make the next move. 

“Ah, then it would be a shame to put a black mark on your record.” Leonard dropped his sword arm and moved to step around the apprentice. Barry raised his sword and pointed it at Leonard’s chest, no one willing to let Leonard have the easy way out today.

“Do you think this wise, boy?” As he spoke, Len slid his blade menacingly along Barry’s. “Crossing blades with a pirate?”

Barry didn’t flinch. “You threatened Iris.” 

“Only a little. I would ask if she was your sweetheart, but it was clear she already had something going on with the Commodore. Unrequited love, then?” 

“What? No. She’s my sis–” 

Leonard charged forward, slashing his sword in an upward motion. Barry, face a mix of annoyance and surprise, countered. And then they were trading blows, striking forward then stepping back to block, the clang of metal ringing in their ears. 

“You know what you’re doing, I'll give you that. Excellent form for someone who seems to be self-taught,” Leonard admitted as he dodged two wild swings when several precise jabs left Barry unbalanced. Leonard kept pressing though, forcing Barry to take several side steps, circling around each other. Leonard now stood in front of the door. Barry frowned when Leonard relaxed his stance and backed away. Leonard said, “This has been fun but I really must be going!” 

Leonard turned to leave, anxious to vanish and regroup. He had wasted nearly an entire day in Port Royal evading the military rather than obtaining a new a ship. And who knew what trouble that medallion would bring. This was so unlike him. He should have taken several days to plan this heist like he usually did.

As he reached for the latch fastening the door, a sword whistled past his face and imbedded itself in the wood, keeping the latch in place. He grabbed the sword handle and yanked as hard as he could. The sword wouldn't budge. Another gutsy move that Leonard was hard pressed not to admire.

He didn’t have time for this, though! Leonard sighed in aggravation, then turned to face Barry. “That is a wonderful trick,” he said. “Except, once again, you are between me and my way out. And now you have no weapon.” Leonard pressed into Barry's space, smirking as the young man backpedaled.

Barry reached behind him and grabbed a poker from the forge. He brandished it like a sword much too close for Len’s comfort. Len also thought he heard the muffled shouts of soldiers just outside the door. He had been going easy on the kid because, although Leonard was desperate to escape, he felt no inclination to cause Barry unnecessary pain. It was time to get serious. 

Leonard threw his left hand forward, using the momentum to wrap the chain, which still dangled from his wrist, around the poker and yank it out of Barry’s grasp. 

He could hear pounding on the door now, the wood groaning under the assault. 

Leonard threw aside the poker as Barry scrambled for a new weapon. Leonard slashed at bag hanging from the ceiling and dust flew into Barry’s face. Len tried to use the distraction to run out the back door, which he had noticed much too late, as the pounding intensified. However, Barry once again stepped in his path, rubbing his eyes with one hand and holding aloft a pair of tongs with the other. He didn’t have a choice any longer; Leonard drew his pistol. 

Barry tensed, arm still raised to strike. “You cheated,” Barry accused.

“Pirate,” Leonard said with a careless shrug. “Now move away!” 

“No,” Barry said, his eyes locked on the pistol.

“Please move?” 

“No!” Barry glanced at the door. How much longer until the soldiers just kicked it in? He didn’t relish the thought of being shot, but this man had threatened his sister. “I cannot just step aside and let you escape.” 

Leonard cocked the hammer of the pistol. “This shot is not meant for you.” 

That admission apparently caught Barry off guard. He relaxed his arms, a perfect moment of weakness which was ruined when the front door splintered inward and soldiers flooded the forge with swords drawn. 

"Dammit, kid!" Leonard cursed. _Should've just shot him._

“There he is!” said Commodore Thawne. “Drop your weapons, Snart. Are you okay, Barry?” 

“Y-yeah,” Barry said, clearing his throat. He watched wide-eyed as Leonard Snart dropped his weapons and a soldier bound him in new manacles, this time with his hands behind his back. Leonard never took his eyes off Barry despite his current predicament. Barry found his gaze unsettling, yet impossible to look away from. 

“I ordered Caitlin and Cisco to go to the governor’s house,” said Eddie, breaking Barry’s trance. “They should be with Governor West and Miss West by now. You should let them know you’re okay.” 

“I’ll, um, do that.” Barry glanced one more time at Leonard, who smirked, and then darted past the soldiers and out the doors. 

“Well,” said Commodore Thawne, stepping into Leonard’s space, “I trust that we will always remember this as the day that Captain Cold _almost_ escaped.” 

 _Well fuck_ , Len thought as he was led away, the bayonet of a gun poking into his back, _this certainly messes up my time table._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) I’m still debating between Eobard Thawne and Lewis Snart for Barbosa’s role. I guess I’ll decided in the moment while writing the next chapter.
> 
> 2) I changed the name of the Black Pearl, but kept the Dauntless and Interceptor. I didn’t feel like changing more than necessary (i.e. I wasn’t feeling particularly creative).
> 
> 3) Does anyone know what Captain Jack actually blinded Will with? (I used dirt, assuming it was maybe used to smother the fire.) Or what the hell the donkey was attached to? I couldn’t find much on Google. I shortened/changed the fight scene for several reasons: there is only so much I can do to verbally recreate such a fantastic scene, it’d take forever to write out in full, and I had no intention of learning sword-fighting terms that in-depth. Forgive me my laziness.
> 
> 4) With the end of this chapter, I have covered only the first ~28 minutes of a 2.5 hour movie. *cries* I seriously underestimated the monumental task I undertook in writing this AU. This is a rather complicated story with a shit-ton of characters and converging story lines. Bear with me if I start simplifying a lot of stuff for the sake of my sanity.
> 
> 5) Also thanks for all the love so far! The kudos and the comments bring a huge smile to me face when I see them. As such, I'll see if I can get another update posted by the end of this week for support I've already received.
> 
> \- Figs


	4. There's Good in You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About another 4,000 words for you! 
> 
> I haven't been asked this yet, but this will be a smut-less story as that isn’t my writing jam. Un-betaed (and for the future, just assume this unless otherwise stated.)

Linda lifted the metal bed warmer from the hearth, freshly filled with hot coals, and placed it beneath the covers at the foot of Iris’ bed. She tucked the edges of the blanket around Iris’ legs. “There you go, miss,” Linda said. “It was a difficult day for you, I’m sure.”

“I suspected Commodore Thawne would propose today,” Iris said as she skimmed through her novel. “It’s unfortunate that he was interrupted.” 

“I meant you being threatened by that pirate. It sounds terrifying.”

“Oh… yes that,” Iris said, glancing at Linda with a half-smile. “Very terrifying.”

“But the Commodore intends to propose! Fancy that. Now, that’s a smart match.”

“It’d would have been even better if he had proposed.” Iris laughed. “Hopefully he doesn’t wait for another special occasion to try again.” 

Linda smiled. “Do you need anything else, miss?” 

“No, thank you,” Iris said.

“Goodnight,” Linda said with a nod of her head. 

Now alone, Iris pulled the medallion from beneath the neckline of her nightgown. She turned the heavy gold coin over in her hand. She wondered at its significance. How had Captain Cold recognized it? Why did he seem to fear it? What would happen to Barry if anyone realized it was his? 

A sharp gust of wind blew in through the open window and blew out the lamp at her bedside table. Iris frowned. The breezes had been mild and gentle all day. Was a storm rolling in?

 

~~~~~

 

“You should go home,” said Mr. Wells. 

Harrison Wells had returned to Star Smithy shortly after Leonard Snart’s arrest to a less than pristine forge. At least this time Barry had a legitimate excuse for the mess. Mr. Wells was sweeping the floor as Barry attached a new latch to the busted door. 

“Go on. Repairs can wait until tomorrow. A storm’s coming in fast.” 

Barry checked the latch, lifting and lowering the wooden beam to make sure it moved as it should. “That will hold for the night,” he said. “I’ll have Cisco check it in the morning. He’s much better with this sort of thing.” 

“I appreciate the effort,” said Mr. Wells. “Now go home and get some rest.”

“Goodnight,” Barry said after he had put away his tools and pulled on his coat.

The streets were empty this late at night. But the weather was unusually chilly for a summer’s evening and a thick fog pervaded every nook and cranny of the town. Houses and shops had been shuttered against the dank weather. The quietness felt oppressive as he hurried home, the rumbling thunder the only sound.

Barry’s thoughts of the weather wandered idly to his sword fight with Captain Cold. The man had an aggressive sword-fighting technique. Even so, he had been holding back – Barry could tell from his opponent’s aborted movements that Leonard Snart refrained from capitalizing on Barry’s several missteps during the duel. Barry couldn’t fathom why though. By all accounts, Captain Cold was a ruthless pirate. That’s largely how he had earned his name: for being calculating and merciless. (Then there were the rumors of the special ice bullets that Snart used that Barry couldn’t quite believe.) 

The name and the reputation didn’t completely match the man in real life though. Leonard Snart had smirked and snarked his way through the duel. As if he was having _fun_. He hadn’t even drawn his pistol until he was truly desperate. And even then, he had hesitated to hurt Barry. 

Now the man sat in a jail cell, idly awaiting his execution tomorrow morning. He had threatened Iris, but only as a means of escape. Surely, Leonard Snart wouldn’t have killed her after saving her? 

He hadn’t felt comfortable letting Leonard Snart escape so easily, but Barry also squirmed at the thought of condemning him to death with no trial. The laws against piracy in the colonies were harsh and strictly enforced for good reason, but there was more to Captain Cold than meets the eye. Barry was sure of it. 

The way Leonard Snart had stared him down after he had been recaptured made Barry shiver. The memory of his piercing gray-blue eyes made guilt coil in Barry’s gut. He felt he owed the man something for saving Iris, for even sparing Barry’s life in the duel. Maybe if he released Snart – thus sparing the man’s life – they would be even and the pirate could disappear from Port Royal never to return.

Barry cursed and stopped. Was he seriously thinking about busting a pirate out of jail? Barry glanced at the governor’s house in the distance – where he had promised Joe and Iris and Eddie he would stay for the night – then took off toward the fort where the prisoners were held.

 

~~~~~

 

“Has my daughter given you an answer yet?” asked Governor West. He and Commodore Thawne were patrolling along the ramparts of the fort. The ocean and sky were a black expanse before them. The only light came from the pinpricks of torches around the fort and bordering the docks below. 

Eddie cleared his throat, then shook his head. “I haven’t had a chance to ask. We were interrupted Iris’ fainting episode and the military’s wild goose chase with Leonard Snart. I figured she had had enough excitement for one day and sent her home.”

“She has had a trying day, just don’t keep her waiting too long,” Governor West advised. “Ghastly weather, don’t you think.?” 

When Eddie didn’t respond, Governor West turned to see that the commodore had stopped walking. Eddie leaned against the battlement as he gazed out into the night. Governor West paused, listening as well, unsure of what had distracted Eddie.

Then he heard it: the hollow whistle of a cannonball hurtling through the air. 

“Cannon fire!” Eddie yelled.

“Get down!” Governor West said. Both men dove out of the way as a cannonball collided with the fort, blasting bits of stone in every direction. 

Eddie jumped up immediately, giving orders. “Return fire! Rouse the others! Protect the town!”

 

~~~~~

 

Loud explosions blasted through the barred prison windows. Leonard could hear faints screams as the city gave way to chaos. Port Royal was under attack. 

“I know those guns,” Leonard Snart said. He went to his window, peering at a certain ship in the harbor. The clouds parted enough that the moon illuminated the ghostly black ship below. The black sails were in tatters and the years had not been kind to her, but Leonard knew his ship. And he had an inkling of idea for its sudden appearance in Port Royal - Atzec gold caused nothing but problems. “It’s the _Rogue_!”

“The _Rogues’ Gallery_?” asked a neighboring inmate. The arrival of the pirate ship had apparently caught his attention. He, along with several others, had been discussing potential escape plans – picking the lock, rushing the guards when they unlocked the cell, bribing the executioner – since Commodore Thawne’s men dropped Leonard off that afternoon. 

“I’ve heard stories,” a second inmate added. “Commanded by Commodore Thawne’s uncle and the only pirate captain he has struggled to capture! Real sore spot for the man.” 

Leonard frowned. So the matching last names hadn’t been a coincidence? He supposed he could have made the connection sooner, but Leonard had been understandably distracted with saving his own skin.

“She’s been preying on ships and settlements for near ten years. Never leaves any survivors!” the first inmate added.

Rumors Leonard had also heard. Eobard had always preferred intimidation through brute force and taking what he pleased, whereas Leonard tended to be more selective with his targets that required cunning and finesse. He had never enjoyed terrorizing the less fortunate (although he didn’t go out of his way to help them either). But spoiled nobles? They were fair game. Leonard took special enjoyment in watching pompous pricks nearly pee their pants in terror. 

“No survivors?” Leonard asked. “Then where do the stories comes from, I wonder?” 

The two inmates paused, faces wearing matching puzzled expressions, when an explosion rocked the prison. Leonard dove for the ground as stone shrapnel burst inward.

Leonard waited for the noise and dust to settle before assessing the situation. He appeared relatively unscathed: some shallow nicks from flying rock and potentially bruised joints from slamming his body against the ground. The cannonball had decimated the wall of the neighboring cell, leaving an easy out for those that had survived the initial blast.

“My sympathies, friend,” said one of the inmates as he ran for the hole. “You’ve no manner of luck at all.” 

Leonard groaned, but pulled himself to a seated position. The turmoil of a pirate attack would provide the perfect cover for escape. He settled against the metal bars of the cell and started to plan, tuning out the world around him. 

“Snart! Crap!” 

Leonard opened his eyes languidly to find Barry, a small axe in hand and face covered in dirt, standing before his cell. He was the last person Leonard had expected to see here.

“Oh, thank God you’re alive,” Barry said. “I wasn’t sure where the cannonball had hit when I was on my way inside.” 

“This is certainly different,” Leonard said. “What brings you to my humble abode?” He smirked as Barry floundered, opening and closing his mouth in an effort to explain himself. 

“You threatened Iris –” 

“Yes, your bonnie lass,” Leonard drawled. “Here to commit a revenge killing now that I’m defenseless?” 

“No,” Barry said firmly, irritation furrowing his brow. “You threatened my _sister_. But there’s good in you too.” 

“How do you figure?” 

“You could have killed me during our duel at least four different times. Yet you spared me. You also saved Iris when you had nothing to gain from it. I don’t know what heinous crimes you committed before this – _and I don’t want to know_ – but it seems unfair to kill you when you were trying to do the right thing for once.” Barry finished his little speech by holding up a ring of keys. He had snatched them from the hook on the wall on his way in the door. 

“No thanks,” Leonard Snart said. 

“What do you mean ‘No thanks’?” Barry exclaimed. 

“It means I don’t want to owe you anything.” 

“You won’t,” Barry said, rolling his eyes. “I just told you why I’m doing this.”

“Yes and I don’t –” Leonard was interrupted by the scraping of the prison door. A gunshot echoed off the stone walls and the body of a soldier toppled down the stairs. “Is there another exit?” 

Barry nodded, eyes wide as several footsteps sounded on the stairs.

“Go! And don’t come back.” 

“Take these.” Barry shoved the ring of keys into Leonard’s cell, where they clattered on the floor, before sprinting down the hallway and turning a corner. 

Leonard kicked the keys under some of the hay as the two men on the stairs stepped over the body of the fallen guard. 

“This ain’t the armory,” said the younger of the two. Both men were dressed in dark, grimy clothes with scuffed black boots. Any bystander could tell they were related: the same stormy eyes, wide cheekbones, square jaws; although, the older pirate had darker hair. 

“If it isn’t the Mardon brothers,” Leonard said. It had been ten years and they had been teenagers the last Leonard had seen them, but he’d recognize the crew of _Rogue_ anywhere.

Both brothers’ attention snapped to Leonard, just now noticing him standing in the middle of his moonlit cell. 

“Well, well, well. Look what we have here, Clyde,” said Mark, swaggering up to the bars. “If isn’t Captain Cold.” 

“Last time I saw you,” Clyde said, coming to stand behind his brother’s right shoulder, “you were all alone on a godforsaken island, shrinking into the distance. His fortunes aren’t improved much.” Mark and Clyde chuckled. 

Leonard stepped closer to the bars, leering at them, “Worry about your own fortunes, gentlemen. The deepest circle of hell is reserved for betrayers, code-breakers, and mutineers.” 

Mark snatched the front of Leonard’s shirt, through the cell door openings, grimacing in anger. Still so easily provoked. Leonard smirked, looking down at Mark’s arm. In the moonlight, flesh had given way to bare bones. “So there is a curse. That’s interesting.” 

“You know nothing of hell,” Mark said, voice quiet with rage. He pushed back as he released Leonard. “The medallion’s not here and neither are any weapons. Let’s go, Clyde.” 

Clyde spit at the foot of Leonard’s cell. The brothers turned and walked back up the stairs. 

Leonard waited five minutes before fishing the keys off the floor and making his own escape.

 

~~~~~

 

Iris stood on her balcony as the attack on Port Royal persisted. The cannon fire and distant screams had startled her out of a shallow slumber not ten minutes prior. The governor’s house was high enough on a hill that the pirates hadn’t reached her home yet, but Iris could see the fires as they leapt up throughout the town, burning closer and closer. 

Iris ran back into her room and slipped on an old pair of flats. She need to find her father and Barry. And Eddie and Caitlin and Cisco! She had to make sure her friends were alright. 

Several gunshots cracked outside. Iris returned to the balcony and gaped as a group of pirates kicked open the gates. She ran from her room to warn the butler, but it was too late. She watched from the top of the staircase as the door flew open, having been kicked in by the rowdy group. 

“‘Ello, chum,” said a pirate decked out in a red coat, yellow shirt, green-blue striped pants, and purple boots. He looked like he had bathed in a rainbow which contradicted his hostile actions. He lifted his pistol and fired. Iris screamed when the butler collapsed on the floor. The pirates swarmed through the door and spread out to loot. Except for two. 

“Up there!” cried a man in a green hooded cloak, pointing at Iris. His companion, the Rainbow Man, smiled up at her.  They ran for the stairs, effectively blocking her escape, so Iris raced to her sitting room and locked the door. 

She nearly knocked over her maid, Linda, in her panic. “Miss West!” Linda dragged her aside, her hands clenched in Iris’ nightgown, and said, “They’ve come to kidnap you!” 

“What?!” 

“You’re the governor’s daughter! You’d fetch a high ransom.” 

The door rattled as several fists pounded on the wood. Rainbow Man and Green Cloak must have caught up. If the men really were there for Iris, maybe she could still save Linda. 

“Listen,” Iris said. She pried Linda’s fingers from her clothing and looked the maid in the eyes, portraying a calmness she did not feel. “They haven’t seen you. Hide, and the first chance you get, run to the fort. Tell Eddie – Commodore Thawne – I will be there as soon as I can!” 

Iris shoved Linda toward a darkened corner, then ran into her adjoining bedroom. She hadn’t been fast enough, as the sitting room door sprang open while she was still in sight. Iris had a plan though: she drew the bed warmer from beneath her mattress. She sprinted back to the doorway, swinging with all her might, and whacked Rainbow Man upside the head. He cursed as he crumpled to the floor. 

Green Cloak caught the bed warmer as Iris rounded on him next. His victorious smirk was short-lived. Iris pulled the latch on the handle. As hot embers rained on his face – the pirate whimpering as he tried to wipe them away – Iris pushed him aside, escaped the room, and flew down the stairs. 

“Come on!” she heard Rainbow Man yell. 

Iris sprinted around prone bodies and a fallen chandelier. She peeked over her shoulder – her pursuers were halfway down the stairs – and bolted into the formal dining room. After securing the door with a nearby chair, Iris needed a weapon. 

Over the mantle was an ornate version of her family crest pierced by two swords. Iris wrapped her hand around the hilt of one sword and tugged hard. The whole crest toppled to the floor, sword firmly stuck in the cast iron metal. 

“Dammit!” she fumed. Iris shook the sword furiously, but had to abandon her weapon when the dining room door shook with dull thuds. She threw herself into a storage closet and waited anxiously as Rainbow Man and Green Cloak entered the room. 

“We know you’re here, poppet,” said Rainbow Man. “Come out! We promise we won’t hurt you. We’ll find you, poppet.” 

“We know you didn’t go through the window,” said the other. “You’ve got something of ours and it calls to us.”

With bated breath, Iris watched through the thin crack of the shuttered doors as the two men neared her hiding spot.

Rainbow Man said, “The gold calls to us.”

 _What did that mean?_ Iris wondered. _Maybe…?_ She spared a brief glance at the medallion she was still wearing. Had the raggedy pirate ship from ten years ago finally come to reclaim what it had lost?

“The gold,” Green Cloak muttered. “The gold calls to us.”

Rainbow Man’s eye appeared in the crack of the doors. “‘Ello, poppet.”

“Parley!” Iris said when the doors open.

“What?” asked Rainbow Man.

Iris stood taller and raised her chin. “Parley,” she repeated. “I invoke the right of parley. According to the Code of the Rogues set down by the pirates Snart and Rory, you have to take me to your captain.

“I know the Code!” Rainbow Man said.

“If an adversary demands parley,” Iris said, “you can do them no harm until the parley is complete.”

“I would have expected more screaming and maybe some fainting than logical reasoning,” said Green Cloak. He had already replaced his sword and stared on in disinterest. Now that the chase was over, he was bored. Rainbow Man frowned irritably at his companion.

“She wants to be taken to the captain,” said Rainbow Man. “Willingly too. Don’t scare her off now.”

 

~~~~~

 

Barry retreated from the fort’s prison with a clear conscience hoping that Captain Cold wasn’t too proud to stay imprisoned. He didn’t have time to celebrate, though, as the streets teemed with terrified townspeople and gleeful pirates. With the hatchet in his left hand and a pilfered sword in his right, Barry fought his way forward. He disabled pirates when possible and protected defenseless citizens.

If he could get to the forge, he could acquire better weapons and team up with Mr. Wells, assuming he hadn’t been caught off guard. Barry could only hope that his friends were holding their own in this mess.

The shattering of glass. The flash of torches. The clang of metal. Cannonballs colliding with brick. The thump of bodies falling and people snarling, sobbing, panting, screaming. It was disorienting, to say the least.

Defeat one pirate though, and there was just another to take his place.

A flurry of white in the corner of his eye caught Barry’s attention. He had knocked out a pirate with the hilt of his sword and turned to lift a woman who had toppled in the street before she could be trampled, when saw her. “Iris!” he shouted.

Their eyes met for a painful moment before he lost her in the crowd, dragged along by two pirates.

A sharp pain pulsed along the back of his head and Barry crumpled to the ground.

 

~~~~~

 

Leonard Snart hadn’t meant to chase after the kid, but he instinctually searched for Barry rather than a proper hiding place. He caught up to Barry fairly quick because whereas Leonard had pushed everyone aside – pirates and villagers alike – Barry stopped to help anyone he could.

Leonard followed Barry as Barry slashed and dodged and parried his way forward, a whirlwind of motion. Barry even refrained from killing, instead choosing to incapacitate the pirates when possible. Of course he was the type to save everyone.

In one moment of distraction, though, Barry lost the battle. Terror flashed across Barry’s face, his arm reaching for a fallen woman, when he spotted Iris being hurried off to the harbor by Bivolo and Rathaway.

Leonard lunged forward as a pirate loomed up behind Barry and cracked a heavy silver candlestick across the back of Barry’s head. Leonard stabbed the man through the chest, then kicked him away, as Barry fell to the ground.

“Dammit!” Leonard cursed. He knelt beside the young man and examined Barry’s injuries: a couple scrapes, a shallow wound from the candlestick, a bruised shoulder where Barry had collided with the cobblestones.

“Leave him alone!” someone shouted. Leonard abruptly turned, still squatting, and parried a wild swing from Cisco, Barry’s friend with the long, unruly dark hair.

“I didn’t do this!” Leonard swiveled his sword up and around, forcing Cisco’s into the ground. “We need to get him off the street. Is there any place we can take him – Look out!”

Cisco swung around and knocked aside yet another pirate.

“We need to get out of the open,” Leonard said. He pulled Barry up by his armpits. “Can you carry him?”

Cisco nodded and sheathed his sword. He looped Barry’s arm around his shoulder and supported his friend’s weight. “Caitlin and Mr. Wells are defending the forge.”

“Lead the way,” Leonard said as he sent another pirate, stupid enough to get too close, sprawling into the street.

“I don’t trust you,” said Cisco. He narrowed his eyes threateningly.

“If I wanted the kid dead, I would’ve killed him hours ago. Or when he freed me from the fort prison. Or while he laid unconscious on the ground.” Leonard shoved Cisco forward. “Now start moving! I’ll cover you.”

 

~~~~~

 

Iris clutched the medallion around her neck as the rowboat was lifted from the water. It swayed and knocked against the ship as it rose through the air. When they reached the deck, she was lifted up by her arms and shoved onto the deck.

The moonlight had long retreated by this point. Iris could make out shadowed figures scurrying about the deck – loading cannons, pulling ropes, and delivering commands to and fro – but nothing further.

What appeared to be the captain, a man who was wearing a large feathered hat, strolled down the steps from the quarterdeck. His eyes glanced from each of Iris’ pirate escorts and then lingered on her, more particularly the medallion around her neck. “What have we here?” he asked. “Roy, Hartley, why did you bring me a captive?”

“She’s invoked the right of parley, Captain Eobard,” said Rainbow Man, or Roy.

The captain nodded. “And what could you possibly hope to gain from a parley?” Captain Eobard asked Iris.

“Captain Eobard, I am here to negotiate the cessation of hostilities against Port Royal,” said Iris.

Captain Eobard frowned in mock confusion. “There were a lot of long words there, miss. We’re not but humble pirates.” The pirates within hearing distance laughed with their captain. “What is it that you want? Tell me plainly.”

“I want you to leave and never come back,” said Iris. “Is that plain enough?”

“I’m disinclined to acquiesce to your request,” said Captain Eobard. “I couldn’t let my nephew get too comfortable here at Port Royal, especially since he has chased me these past ten years so relentlessly.”

“That’s not why you are here.”

“Ha, is that so? What do you know of my goals?” Captain Eobard asked, smiling smugly.

“You came for the medallion.” Iris held up the golden amulet and it flickered dully in the torchlight. “It’s why your two men captured me! It’s what you’ve been searching for. I recognize this ship! I saw it ten years ago on the crossing from England.”

The pirate captain shrugged. “Me holds are burstin’ with swag.” Captain Eobard turned to address the second bit to his men. “She thinks that bit a shine matters to us?” The crew sneered and shook their heads.

Iris clenched her jaw, then yanked the chain from around her neck. “Fine,” she said, moving to the edge of the ship and dangling the coin over the water, “I suppose if it is worthless, there’s no point in me keeping it.”

Iris loosened her grip, letting the chain drop several inches. The pirates who had gathered to watch the exchange gasped in dismay, jerking forward as if to catch it. Iris smiled, gathering the medallion safely back into her hand.

Captain Eobard stepped toward while chuckling bitterly at Iris’ deceit. “You have a name, missy?”

“Iris” – she hesitated a moment – “Allen,” she said. “I’m a maid in the governor’s household.” She lied to protect Barry as much as herself. The pirates wouldn’t be able to use her status as the governor’s daughter against her father, and if they thought she was the shipwrecked child from the attack ten years ago, then they wouldn’t think to look for Barry.

Captain Eobard’s eyes widened, his mouth stretched in a creepy smile, as he turned to face his men. He said, “Miss Allen!”

His crew murmured excitedly among themselves. “Ol’ Hank,” Roy whispered in awe.

“And how does a maid come to own a trinket such as that?” Captain Eobard asked. “Family heirloom, perhaps?” 

“I didn’t steal it, if that’s what you mean.”

“Very well,” Captain Eobard said. “You hand it over, and we’ll put your town to our rudder and ne’er return.” He held out his hand.

Iris handed over the amulet without hesitation, which Captain Eobard quickly pocketed. She asked, “Our bargain?”

“Scudder,” he called. “You know what to do.” Captain Eobard walked back up to the quarterdeck as another man, this one wearing silvery fabrics and silver jewelry, took charge.

“Still the guns and stow ‘em,” said Scudder. “Signal the men and make good to clear port.” The rest of crew scurried into action. Even Roy and Hartley – Iris’ original captors – hurried off to prepare the ship to leave.

“Wait!” Iris chased after Captain Eobard. “You have to take me to shore! According to the Code –”

“First,” said Captain Eobard with a sneer, “your return to shore was not part of our negotiations nor our agreement, so I must do nothing. And secondly, you must be a pirate for the Rogues’ Code to apply, and you’re not. And thirdly, the Code is more of what you’d call guidelines than actual rules.” – then with a grandiose sweep of his arms – “Welcome aboard the _Rogues’ Gallery_ , Miss Allen!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of thoughts while writing this chapter, so hold onto your hats:  
> 1) This PotC Coldflash AU is a curse and a blessing: I hate writing action scenes, but I could use the practice. Some parts are choppy af. Because I'm posting chapters as they are completed (I feel like a serial novelist?), I'm going to nitpick this one a little more over the next couple days. But first I need to give myself some space from my writing.  
> 2) I worked on this chapter a little bit every day, like a good writer, but I still didn’t get it posted as soon as I wanted. Updates may be even slower in the coming weeks as I am moving to a new apartment and returning to my full-time job. But please check out my Tumblr ([figsofmyimagination](http://figsofmyimagination.tumblr.com/)) for any quick updates and (maybe) sneak peeks of future chapters. No promises on the sneak peeks as I am shit at follow through.  
> 3) I went ahead and watched the movie all the way through, dividing the rest of it into potential chapters then scenes. At this point in time, we’re looking at about an 11-chapter story. But it could be longer since many of the battle scenes are get writing intensive. (In case anyone is curious, chapter four brings us 41 minutes into the movie.)  
> 4) Finally got some Barry POV. I skimped on that the first three chapters. I got a little too wrapped up detailing the original plot of PotC and scene blocking for future chapters made me realize that I’ve been a bit of stickler for the original plot. I need to incorporate more Barry POV and Barry/Leonard interaction to create believable relationship building.  
> 5) Also, Len and Jack are both morally ambiguous characters, but Jack improvises basically everything he does. Len is very intentional in his actions, but can improvise when appropriate. So everything Len does is going to come across as more calculated than any of Jack’s actions combined.  
> 6) As always, thanks for the love, understanding, and encouragement! It keeps me motivated! 
> 
> -Figs

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I obviously don't own any characters or plot-related things from The Flash or Pirates of the Caribbean. This has been written entirely for my own amusement.


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